Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GOING TO JAIL FOR THE FIRST TIME

Yes, it happens. Canadian corrections have become an increasingly hostile environment in recent years due to overcrowding and general unrest – on both sides of the bars. I can teach you how to navigate the system and minimize unnecessary conflict.

We often hear the jail joke about dropping a bar of soap in the shower. All jokes aside, rape CAN and DOES happen – though not by simply dropping a bar of soap in the shower. Be forewarned – owing favours to other inmates is a dangerous game.

Is it all day, or for weeks and months on end? Know what to expect – daily routines, bunk mates (double and triple bunking). Through cutting edge information on the daily routines in all facilities – I can prepare you with a game plan to best deal with what lies ahead.

How often, how long and what is the environment of visits? Will my visitors be safe? There are nuances in visiting protocols from jail to jail – prison to prison. Contact me – I can remove the unknowns for you and your loved ones.

Do you trust them, Are they your friends? No – they are for one reason and one reason only – to do their job. Particularly with the unrest and present climate in our correctional facilities, empathy and friendliness does not apply. Learn how to carry yourself and not stand out.

Do you do it? What can you do if you are being leaned or being hurt or bullied? Each case and circumstance is unique and dynamic in nature however there are solid methods that can be implemented to avoid becoming victimized and unnecessary conflict(s).

What is it, Where can I expect to be held, What are the conditions? Canadian corrections have increasingly put into play the use of segregation in our jails and prisons over the past decade. It is hard time, reflective of overcrowding and the punitive climate in place in Canadian corrections today (For more detailed information refer to my 4 min interview on Solitary CBC’s – ‘Ideas’)

Cells are small, hard and devoid of all comfort. You will be double and triple bunked with no input into who your ‘roommates’ will be. Three of you share one toilet, one sink and one stationary desk, with one of the three sleeping on the floor, beside the toilet. Contact me and I will provide you the ‘etiquette’ to make the best of it.

Old vs. New School approach – dynamics vary from case to case and circumstances vary; which is why this answer is not a simple yes or no. Depending on the charges and your background, the answer would change. For example, if you are charged with a sexual assault, you would not want to share your charges with others on your range.

Normally yes, your cash is converted into canteen items, but cash can and does come into circulation illegally. Additionally, for a variety of reasons, money transfers on the street are used for various ‘commodities’. Again, stay clear of this type of involvement!

Extortion can come in the form of inmates seeking protection money, and/or stealing muscling for canteen items. Naturally, jails and prisons do house predators, many of whom familiar with the terrain and well trained in spotting “new fish”. Learn how not to stand out as a potential victim and minimize unnecessary friction and conflict.

Smoking is now illegal in all Canadian jails and prisons. However, if you really still want to smoke – chances are, you’ll be able to. Yes, it’s illegal, but generally available and also very costly. How? Poobacco!

Similarly to the popular new show ‘Orange is the new Black’ – in Canadian corrections, upon arrival at all Provincial jails/Intake centers an orange jumpsuit is the ‘uniform’ issued all inmates. All personal clothing and possessions are bagged and stored. Federal prison sentences (2yrs to life) allow for ‘pen packs’ of personal items to be sent in, following classification or pen placements. There is a thirty day window for an approved, limited list of items that can be sent in to a federal prisoner. This information is fully covered in the prep services offered.